Are you done stocking up?

[Rossum]

I wouldnt fill nic to brim 1/2 inch 12.5 mm of the top is enough.

Yep. Bottles should have a small amount of air in the headspace to dampen pressure changes as the liquid expands and contracts with temperature. With no headspace at all, the pressure changes could be rather extreme.

If you're really OCD, you can displace that air with an inert gas. Vendors who do this will typically use argon. If you're rebottling yourself, cans of wine preservative gas mixture (primarily nitrogen and CO2) are readily available. The idea is to minimize the amount of oxygen in the bottle when it's sealed up. However, Kurt did some math a while back that seemed to show the benefits of doing this would be marginal at best, at least if the headspace is kept small (a few CCs).

 

[englishmick]

Yep. Bottles should have a small amount of air in the headspace to dampen pressure changes as the liquid expands and contracts with temperature. With no headspace at all, the pressure changes could be rather extreme.

If you're really OCD, you can displace that air with an inert gas. Vendors who do this will typically use argon. If you're rebottling yourself, cans of wine preservative gas mixture (primarily nitrogen and CO2) are readily available. The idea is to minimize the amount of oxygen in the bottle when it's sealed up. However, Kurt did some math a while back that seemed to show the benefits of doing this would be marginal at best, at least if the headspace is kept small (a few CCs).

When I started putting nic up I read somewhere that I should get the liquid as close to the top as possible, so that's what I did. Also read that the air inside the cone on the top would be enough to handle pressure changes, and glass was strong enough to handle it anyway. Read that damage to glass bottles from temp changes was mostly caused by moving between frozen and liquid state not from liquid volume changes.

Seems like I read a lot of opinions, but I don't have expertise to figure out what is true.

I don't know how tight a seal those cone tops have. Would they leak at all if there was a major pressure difference? I haven't heard any reports of nic bottles cracking from temp changes.

I haven't had any problems so far. Do you think I ought to open up my bottles and take out a little liquid from each one? It would be a pain but I could do it next time I defrost the freezer.

 

[mattiem]

I haven't had any problems so far. Do you think I ought to open up my bottles and take out a little liquid from each one? It would be a pain but I could do it next time I defrost the freezer.

I filled my bottles up to withing 1/4 inch from the top. I left just enough space for the poli-cone cap. I am comfortable with this method. If I were you I would not open and remove any. The contents do not freeze and I don't think they expand either.

I read somewhere here that someone had a bottle expand and crack or maybe it was some of the liquid seeped after being removed from the freezer. I can kinda see that happening if the bottle was removed from freezer to super hot home. The quick change in temps could possibly cause a problem. I think it would be best to bring the bottle to room temp slowly by transferring to fridge first and then to counter.

 

[Two_Bears]

When I started putting nic up I read somewhere that I should get the liquid as close to the top as possible, so that's what I did. Also read that the air inside the cone on the top would be enough to handle pressure changes, and glass was strong enough to handle it anyway. Read that damage to glass bottles from temp changes was mostly caused by moving between frozen and liquid state not from liquid volume changes.

Seems like I read a lot of opinions, but I don't have expertise to figure out what is true.

I don't know how tight a seal those cone tops have. Would they leak at all if there was a major pressure difference? I haven't heard any reports of nic bottles cracking from temp changes.

I haven't had any problems so far. Do you think I ought to open up my bottles and take out a little liquid from each one? It would be a pain but I could do it next time I defrost the freezer.

If it AINT broke don't fix it

 

[Two_Bears]

I filled my bottles up to withing 1/4 inch from the top. I left just enough space for the poli-cone cap. I am comfortable with this method. If I were you I would not open and remove any. The contents do not freeze and I don't think they expand either.

I read somewhere here that someone had a bottle expand and crack or maybe it was some of the liquid seeped after being removed from the freezer. I can kinda see that happening if the bottle was removed from freezer to super hot home. The quick change in temps could possibly cause a problem. I think it would be best to bring the bottle to room temp slowly by transferring to fridge first and then to counter.

I heard 1/2 inch from top.

 

[Fozzy71]

I think it would be best to bring the bottle to room temp slowly by transferring to fridge first and then to counter.

I have seen this suggested before so it is what I have done once or twice so far when getting new working bottles out of the freezer.

 

[dobroeutro]

I think it would be best to bring the bottle to room temp slowly by transferring to fridge first and then to counter.

That's what I do, into the fridge for 24 hrs, then to my mixing area till it reaches room temp. Worked well for me thus far...

 

[mattiem]

I heard 1/2 inch from top.

different strokes for different folks. 1/4 inch works for me.

 

[oplholik]

I leave 1/4 - 1/2 inch from the top. When bringing out of the freezer for use, I slightly loosen the cap while it comes to room temp, as it will be expanding back to the original fill point..

 

[Two_Bears]

I have seen this suggested before so it is what I have done once or twice so far when getting new working bottles out of the freezer.

Yes!

Taking a bottle from freezer and place on a counter until it reaches room Temperature before opening prevents condensation of water in the nicotine.

 

[Alien Traveler]

I leave 1/4 - 1/2 inch from the top. When bringing out of the freezer for use, I slightly loosen the cap while it comes to room temp, as it will be expanding back to the original fill point..

Do not see any sense in loosening caps. Even opposite - you are letting warm wet air into your bottle before it is warm.
Also do not see any sense in freezer->refrigerator->counter top way. No need for this additional step. Nicotine solution is not a meat for which we want to minimize additional internal damage by ice crystals.

 

[beckdg]

AFAIK, water is the only liquid that expands as it freezes.

Most, if not all other liquids contract.

This is the case with VG and PG as I've read.

In the case of VG, I've observed that when filling a syringe with tremendous back pressure you will actually pull gas out of the VG in the form of bubbles that dissipate as the pressure equalizes and they fall back into solution.

I suspect even with the higher viscosity of VG in extreme cold, this also holds true.

Also, round glass bottles can hold a tremendous amount of inward psi.

And plastic would just fold in and recover when the temp rises.

For me, I use VG nic base, fill to the brim and plop in the freezer. 60ml to 500ml bottles, not one broke in nearly 3 years.

I don't worry about it. <shrug>

Tapatyped

 

[Two_Bears]

AFAIK, water is the only liquid that expands as it freezes.

Most, if not all other liquids contract.

This is the case with VG and PG as I've read.

In the case of VG, I've observed that when filling a syringe with tremendous back pressure you will actually pull gas out of the VG in the form of bubbles that dissipate as the pressure equalizes and they fall back into solution.

I suspect even with the higher viscosity of VG in extreme cold, this also holds true.

Also, round glass bottles can hold a tremendous amount of inward psi.

And plastic would just fold in and recover when the temp rises.

For me, I use VG nic base, fill to the brim and plop in the freezer. 60ml to 500ml bottles, not one broke in nearly 3 years.

I don't worry about it. <shrug>

Tapatyped

#1 or #2 plastic you are right. Most other plastics get very brittle and will break in the freezer.

 

[beckdg]

#1 or #2 plastic you are right. Most other plastics get very brittle and will break in the freezer.

Let's say we narrow this down to plastics we actually use for nic base and/or juice.

The bottles it comes in from the various suppliers, LDPE and silicon for the most part.

Unless an end user comes up with some *brilliant* idea, his/her plastic nic base bottle won't mysteriously, magically shatter in the freezer.

At best it will flex.

As do mine.

Tapatyped

 

[BackDoc]

I'm with Beck, I don't over think the matter, glass or plastic....In the deep freeze ( -15) as soon as I get it, have never had a single problem ( speaking of finished liquid) fresh as the day I bought it.....Never a cracked bottle.......My NIC is in amber glass frozen as well

 

[sofarsogood]

It's looking like that's what I'll have to do. Hopefully I can find one that locks!

There are 1 cubic foot medical freezers available with locks for a couple hundred and claim to be low cost to operate. A cubic foot will hold a lot of nic. Check on amazon

My nic is in the freezer door shelf. No kids in the house.

 

[Mowgli]

My nic is in the freezer door shelf. No kids in the house.

No kids either. Still have room for pizza, bacon, ice & some spaghetti sauce

Opening the freezer for a moment doesn't change the temp inside the boxes.
Nic temp stays stable.

 

[icharus29]

So, according to my calculations, I have enough nicotine to last 47 years and change. Five liters in the freezer. I use 2ml per week, give or take. How long will this stuff last? Sadly, though. I think some is already contaminated. Got into DIY before I knew about proper storage.

 

[Two_Bears]

Let's say we narrow this down to plastics we actually use for nic base and/or juice.

The bottles it comes in from the various suppliers, LDPE and silicon for the most part.

Unless an end user comes up with some *brilliant* idea, his/her plastic nic base bottle won't mysteriously, magically shatter in the freezer.

At best it will flex.

As do mine.

Tapatyped

You have to be careful with plastic. I got some freezer containers that would break removing a container of strawberry jam from the freezer. I switched to #1 and #2 plastic for my frozen goods and NO more problems.

You need to make sure it doesnt get brittle like glass in the freezer.

 

[Two_Bears]

There are 1 cubic foot medical freezers available with locks for a couple hundred and claim to be low cost to operate. A cubic foot will hold a lot of nic. Check on amazon

My nic is in the freezer door shelf. No kids in the house.

Doesnt 1 cubic foot hold 7.2 gallons or something like that?